Here’s a simple, earthy and top-to-toe warming cassoulet-style casserole, just delicious in a big bowl poured over a generous dollop of fluffy mashed potatoes – don’t be precious, tuck in with a spoon! Best eaten on your knees in front of a fire and some good TV….
Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 tbsp olive oil
40g butter
6 diced pheasant breasts
500g Cumberland or Toulouse sausages cut into 2.5cm chunks
1 large red onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tin flageolet beans
2 stalks rosemary
300ml white wine
500ml chicken stock
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 large handfuls chopped kale leaves
75ml double cream
Method
Finely coat your diced pheasant in seasoned flour. Heat the oil and half the butter in a deep, heavy based casserole dish. Add your pheasant pieces to the bubbling oil and seal until browned well on all sides (about 5 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, remove the pheasant from the casserole and set aside.
Add a good slosh more of oil if necessary and scraping up any of the floury bits in the pan now fry the sausage pieces until golden brown. Add the garlic and finely chopped rosemary, turn down the heat and add red onion chunks. Cover with a lid and cook gently for 15 minutes or until the onions are soft and lightly browned (you will need to stir occasionally).
Now add the pheasant pieces back into the casserole dish, stir in the mustard and pour the wine over the top bringing it to a gentle boil for a couple of minutes. Pour in the stock and the drained flageolet beans. Lower the heat back to a relaxed simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the cream and chopped kale and continue to simmer with the lid off for 10 minutes until the leaves have wilted, but are still nice and green. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Serving suggestion: mashed potato or crusty French bread (though the bread may be too messy for eating on your knees!)